Unkiedev's Amazing Stuff

Last week's column was about the great abundance of variety in modern comic book shops. Nuts to that! This week, apart from Archie, Jughead and Captain Carrot there are no new "humor" comics being published. Some think this is because "humor doesn't sell," and some think it's because the audience for this material has dried up in the super-hero centered market. Still others think it's because of Frankenstein, but I suspect they may be mistaken.

I couldn't give three twigs WHY this is the case. I have a column to write on funny stuff to buy at New York's greatest and most diverse comic book shop, Forbidden Planet, and if the big three fail then others must pick up the slack:

One Step Beyond

Metalocalypse, Season 1 - by Dethklok and Adult Swim. Metal fans already know how indispensible the Adult Swim cartoon "Metalocalypse" is. This grotesque shred-fest is full of gore and more! A five man heavy metal band is bigger than the Beatles, bigger than democracy or religion in fact, with screaming fans happy to die/murder for them. The band, Dethklok, may not be very bright but have managed to stranglehold the world's economy. The show is the blackest of black comedies about how Dethklok thrashes and trashes an enthralled Earth on the way to the eponymous, inevitable "Metalocalypse."

The excessive blood and gore can be an on over-the-top turn off, but the characters are surprisingly likeable. Another plus: "Metalocalypse" focuses on character and story for its humor, not relying on the tiring abstract "jokes" and awkward pacing that ruins most of the other Adult Swim programs.

PVP - Scott Kurtz, Image Comics. Still going strong, Scott Kurtz is a beloved online comics creator who's runaway hit web-strip "PVP" spills into the paper-and-staple world from Image Comics. PVP is the charming, yet rambling story of geeks publishing a magazine, their affairs and interactions with giant blue trolls. Its success is often due to the subject material: early adopters of online comics with the IT crowd eager to read jokes and plots tailored to their tech/geek sensibilities.

Modern Image Comics is an umbrella publishing house that gives proven independent creators a safe haven for self-publishing. Kurtz is the cartoonist's dreams personified: A thriving independent comics empire fueled by fans and profiting from merchandised characters. Image and Kurtz probably do a fine turn putting the online PVP characters out in print, bridging online and analog geekdom and finding new fans for both.

Hollywood Zombies Trading Cards - Various, Topps. YEE-HAW! Great art and gross out concept make this a Halloween HIT! Have you bought a pack of these? As Tony the Tiger would say: "They're GREAT!" Hollywood Zombies trading cards are fully painted cards of your favourite celebs as flesh eating ghouls with fake interviews, jokes and glow-in-the-dark cards, too. FAB, right? These are every bit as fun as you remember "Wacky Packages" or "Garbage Pail Kids" to be. Did you know those are still being minted, too? Both are on their 6th season since their revival. Trading cards still remain one of the last places for cheap laffs and cool artwork. Release your inner ten year old and pick up any of Topps' line of cards. They're all silly, they're all fun and they're all available at the Forbidden Planet cash register.

Brigadoon

Let's review: Comic book publishers do not put out more humor based products because they feel they either A) don't sell, B) don't have a market or C) something about Frankenstein. Meanwhile online creators, television viewers and producers are doing swell making with the high quality ha-ha's for all the little cash infused girls and boys. Heck, even trading cards, an older and arguable more out-dated medium then our venerable comic books is still in the humor game. Someone is doing business in funny. Why aren't comic books?

Maybe the funny comic books will come back into vogue. Maybe they have just left us like the lost city of Brigadoon and will return, secretly and placidly, in 100 years. All I know is if Marvel, DC and the other big publishers don't want my money I'm glad there are other fine companies, like Forbidden Planet, that do!

By Guest Contributor: Unkie Dev